Shoprite employees have embarked on a strike and shut down
the company’s outlets across the country.
NAN reports that Shoprite workers at Ringroad branch in
Ibadan closed the outlet on Friday.
Shoprite stores in Ikeja City Mall
and Palms Shopping Mall in Lagos, and Delta Mall in Warri are also closed.
The workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Shop
and Distributive Employees (NUSDE), vowed that the company would remain shut
until the management is ready to meet their demands.
On March 2, the employees had demanded that the South
African management pay them off ahead of their planned exit from the country.
Williams Peter, chairman of the Shoprite chapter of NUSDE,
said the union was using the Easter period to press home its demands since
dialogue had failed.
He said all Shoprite stores had been shut down nationwide
because all negotiations between the union and the management ended in a
deadlock.
“We see this Easter period as the right time to get
management to listen to us and accede to our demands, ” NAN quoted Peter to
have said.
“However, if the management is not ready to listen to us, it
then means that Shoprite is not ready to open this April. We will shut the
company down until they listen to us.
“Give us what we want and we will then be ready to discuss
with the new investors and have a new agreement with them.”
A memo issued by Adeola Kagho, Shoprite’s divisional human
resources manager, described the industrial action embarked upon by the workers
as unlawful.
She threatened that the workers may face dismissal if the
strike continues.
“Please note that your conduct is in breach of your contract
of employment, company rules, and procedures, and the applicable federal
legislation,” the memo read.
“The company is not prepared to tolerate your participation
in any unlawful industrial action.
“The company is now considering appropriate action to be
taken against you and this may include your summary dismissal, should you
disregard the instruction/ultimatum hereunder.
“You are accordingly
instructed to return to work immediately in an orderly and diligent manner.”
She urged the workers to follow the established company’s
internal procedure, should they wish to raise any grievance.
In August 2020, the company announced its plan to sell its
stake in the Nigerian business.
Persianas Nigeria Limited, a
property development company, owned by Tayo Amusan, was the preferred bidder
for the company.
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